The CSGA Links Volume 6 Issue 1 April, 2018 | Page 20

INSTRUCTION
other occasions, when faced with a slick downhill putt, you’ve allowed for more break because you
were merely tapping the ball and wanted it to take a longer time to get to the cup.

Think of two levels of speed control skill. The first level allows you to roll the ball at a speed that
will get the ball to the hole close enough for a tap-in. The more advanced skill allows you to roll the
ball at precise speed. This skill level will allow you to make more putts from the short range.

When you measure speed on these putts, you may calculate how far past the hole--if the ball
doesn’t go in--you want the putt to travel. I prefer my students to develop the skill to hit putts one foot
past the hole. You may prefer 18 inches or two feet. That’s fine. The key is to develop the skill to consis-
tently deliver putts at a speed at the intended speed.

The practice drill described in this video should help a lot. Use it to develop that advanced level
of speed control skill. To add variety, do the drill one day on a slight uphill, straight putt. On other
days, try it with downhill or sidehill putts. Doing this drill on a regular basis will allow you to feel more
comfortable over short-range putts and to deliver the intended amount of speed and break on these
short-range putts. You’ll make more of them as a result.

Let’s make 2018 your best golf season ever!
INSTRUCTION
Links Lessons
By George Connor, PGA

Master Speed to Make More ‘Money’ Putts
T
he golf season is upon us!
It took a while but we finally have the courses
opening and you may be anxious to get your
first rounds under your belt.

You may also be feeling a bit apprehensive about
how you will be playing early in the season.

Here is a great drill that you can use to get your
short-range putting skills polished at the start of the sea-
son. It is a drill I encourage all of my students to use, not
only at the start of the season but throughout the year.

An over-looked skill in putting is speed control. If I
mention speed control to most golfers they immediately
think of rolling those long 30- and 40-foot putts within
the gimme range. While this is certainly important, creating the proper speed on makeable putts from
three to 15 feet will allow you to make more putts from this length and have an immediate effect on
your scores.

Almost every putt from this distnce will have some amount of break. Many will have a little and
some will have a suprisingly large amount of curve on our severe greens here in the Northeast.

When a putt has break, the speed becomes even more important. The amount a putt breaks is
based on how long the ball spends rolling from the time it leaves your putter until it reaches the hole.
You’ve experienced this when you chose to hit a putt firm and took some of the curve out of it. On
20 | CSGA Links // April 2018
www.csgalinks.org
video embed

George Connor has been teaching and coaching golfers of all abilities since 1989. The
two-time Connecticut PGA Teacher of the Year runs the Golf Channel Academy at
Farmington Woods GC in Avon, CT, and also teaches out of Keney Park Golf Course
in Hartford, CT. George’s student’s include Division I College Players, Professional
Players, State Amateur Champions, Club Champions as well as beginners and inter-
mediate players.
www.csgalinks.org
CSGA Links // April 2018 21